Friday, 10 January 2014

Rihanna- Good Girl Gone Bad Album Review


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Album- Good Girl Gone Bad
Artist- Rihanna

Rihanna is one of the biggest artists in today’s music industry, and you would probably find it hard to find someone who didn’t know who she is. Whilst the singer has had a strong career since her debut single Pon De Replay came out, it is arguably with her third studio album Good Girl Gone Bad that the singer really became the best selling mainstream artist that she is today, as the record featured a plethora of hit singles and cultivated the singers feistier pop image. But was Good Girl Gone Bad really that good an album?

Track 1- Umbrella (featuring Jay-Z)

The records lead single and remaining as one of the singer’s biggest selling singles to date, Umbrella is a stomping pop rock and RnB infused power ballad in which Rihanna sings to her baby of how they will always be together and that when it rains her guy can stand under her umbrella. The song’s lyrics are ridiculously catchy with a great ‘ella ella’ hook, and Jay- Z is a great guest artist as his snappy and thought out rap perfectly compliments Rihanna’s smooth and vibrant vocal performance. The use of heavy drum beats and thunder cloud synths creates a thundering pop sound for the track that immediately grabs your attention and which remains as fun to dance to now as it did all those years ago when she first released it.

4.5/5

Track 2- Push Up on Me

From the stomping rhythms of Umbrella we go into even more of an electronic sound with Push Up On Me. Here the singer becomes a bit more sultry and seductive as she sings of her wanting for her man to push up on her. The songs chorus isn’t as immediately attention grabbing as Umbrella but the vocal performance is great as Rihanna shows off a different element of her personality, whilst the layered style of the vocal really brings out the sensual style of the song. The blend of the surging synths with snappy electro claps gives the song a slight Madonna esque, 80’s inspired electronic feel that is powerful and dance floor ready, and what this song does is show that even at this early stage of the album the singer is definitely not just a one trick pony when it comes to her music.

3.5/5

Track 3- Don’t Stop the Music

Sampling the Michael Jackson hit that is ‘Wanna Be Startin Somethin’, Don’t Stop the Music is a great dance pop led track where the singer simply sings of loving this DJ’s music and asking him not to stop playing these tracks that she loves. The songs chorus is simple and catchy and is great for a club setting, whilst the lyrics also nicely imbue a flirtatious and romantic element into the song that is also a bit narrative like. Rihanna gives us a smooth vocal performance that perfectly matches the overall energy of the song, whilst the thumping techno rhythms of the production are lively and awesome to dance to, and with the Jackson sample this song just is ready made to be a dance music must have.

4.5/5

Track 4-Breakin’ Dishes

The single that never was, Breakin’ Dishes is a really lively and feisty RnB pop number from the singer that finds her going away from a romantic love and instead playing this role of a wronged woman who is tired of her mans actions and who is breaking dishes out of her frustration. The lyrics perfectly tap into that mindset of a wronged woman, whilst the chorus is a feisty slice of pop that will probably resonate with some of the singer’s female fans. Vocally Rihanna gives us a commanding, personality led performance that almost makes this song feel like a blueprint for the feisty artist that many people know Rihanna as today. The frenzied electro production with the snappy, clapping beats creates a volatile sound that perfectly embodies the songs lyrical sentiment, and this track is just a chant ready live anthem.

3.5/5

Track 5- Shut Up and Drive

Rihanna changes things up a bit with Shut Up and Drive, a flirtatious track which is more overtly pop rock led. The song finds the singer telling this man that she just wants him to shut up and drive if he wants to have her. The song is a fun slice of sexual innuendo laden pop with a stomping electric guitar riff and bass heavy sound that keeps your attention for the entire track. The song nicely utilises a bit of 80’s new wave style, and with the sensual, charismatic and fun loving vocal performance that Rihanna provides, this song is another chant ready live anthem for the ladies.

4/5

Track 6- Hate That I Love You (featuring Ne-Yo)

Featuring American RnB singer songwriter Ne-Yo, Hate That I Love You is more of a folksy RnB pop song that takes the album down to a gentler state. The song is a sweet track where Ne-Yo and Rihanna play lovers who hate things about each other, but they love each other in the end and cannot stay mad at the other person for any long length of time. The song nicely paints this picture of a romantic but slightly volatile love, and vocally both artists blend together really well for a smooth performance that feels sincere and makes it seem like we are really listening in on a true relationship. The guitar led production with the more acoustic vibe creates an extra depth to the song and provides a nice break from the more vibrant sounds of the record, but the song is also still lively enough to maintain your attention and just make you really feel the warmth of the lyrical message.

4/5

Track 7- Say It                                          

Say It is another slightly more chilled listen which features more of a silky RnB groove and island infused beats. With this track the singer asks this person to just say what they want and she might just give it to them, whilst she also just wants the person to let go so that she can really know their feelings. The song is vocally the weakest of the album so far as the layered style in this instance just feels a bit whiny, although some of the singer’s ad libs are really nice. The message of the song is sweet but after a while the repetition can become annoying, whilst the shimmering melody and choppy rhythm of the song doesn’t have the same impact as some of the previous tracks.

2.5/5

Track 8- Sell Me Candy

From the silkiness of the last track we go into snappier territory with Sell Me Candy. The song finds the singer going back to her more sultry and flirtatious persona as she asks this person to sell her their fantasies because she loves them. The singer vocally works really well within this track as her layered vocal performance perfectly embodies the sultry feel of the song, whilst the chorus is made stronger by the style of the vocal. The best asset of the song is definitely the production as the track features chaotic beats and just has this noisy quality that is really interesting and feels more dynamic than the previous track.

3.5/5

Track 9- Lemme Get That

Produced by well-known producer and hitmaker Timbaland, Lemme Get That is another flirtatious slice of RnB pop which also has more of a hip hop flavour to it. The song focuses on Rihanna telling this boy that she wants them and also just wants to use them, with the singer nicely playing this role of a mischievous, flirtatious and fun girl. The vocal performance is cool as the processing of the singer’s voice provides the song with a slightly grittier, flirtatious essence, whilst the vocal performance definitely feels like a signature Rihanna style. Timbaland does a great job with the production as he provides some cool boom-bap beats and creates this horn driven sound that is funky and infectious to listen to.

3.5/5

Track 10- Rehab

Rehab takes the album to a little bit more of a gentler state, but lyrically the track is quite potent. Co-written and co-produced by Justin Timberlake, the track finds Rihanna detailing this relationship in which she got a bit swept up in love and now she is left broken and feels like she needs to go to rehab to move on from this boy. The song nicely brings some more emotional depth to the record, and although the idea of love as a drug and the idea of needing to check into rehab because of love isn’t original, the lyrics are still sophisticated and catchy with a nice ‘oh oh oh oh oh’ hook. The singer’s vocal performance is smooth and slightly vulnerable, whilst Timberlake provides some nice, unaccredited vocals for the bridge. The songs production features more of a typical RnB style with this great groove built around a good backbeat and some smart acoustic guitar swirls, bringing another layer of diversity and passion to the record.

3.5/5

Track 11- Question Existing

Penultimate track Question Existing provides the records darkest and perhaps chaotic moment, with the songs lyrical message being pretty much summed up in the title. What is great about the lyrics is that the idea of questioning your existence can be tied to a variety of aspects of life, and for each individual listener the song can really resonate in different ways. We also get a real personal feel with this song, with the bridge being great as the singer speaks of her humanity and her time in the spotlight, and this just shows that when you strip away the pop star persona, this is really just an ordinary girl feeling the same feelings everyone does. The songs chopped rhythms brings a dark and eerie atmosphere to the track, whilst the processed style of the vocal adds another layer of eeriness to the track, making Question Existing a great moment in the record where the singer seems to really let go and brings forceful, honest passion to her music.

3.5/5

Track 12- Good Girl Gone Bad

The records title track and the closing number for the album, Good Girl Gone Bad finds Rihanna singing about how if a girl is treated wrong then she easily turn into a bad girl, and if a girl does go bad then they will be bad forever. The song nicely acts as a bit of a kiss off and an anthem for ladies who feel wronged by their man. Vocally the singer’s fast paced but smooth performance is just great, with the singer’s personality really making the song feel like something where she is not just singing but has lived the words. The clicking beats and acoustic guitar led sound is simple but effective, and as such this is a simple but really effective and strong end to the record.

3.5/5

Final Review

Good Girl Gone Bad really is an accomplished album from an artist who definitely seemed to find her musical style and her persona with this record. The album is packed with infectious lyrical hooks amd smooth, personality driven vocal performances, as well as smart production that blends a variety of genres into a really cohesive body of work. This album just definitely deserved the success it gave Rihanna and might remain her best selling record for the foreseeable future.

8.5/10

Best Track- Umbrella (featuring Jay-Z)

Worst Track- Say It

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